China’s City of Ice: How Harbin Turned Winter into Wonder!
While winter pushes much of China indoors, the northeastern city of Harbin moves in the opposite direction, stepping boldly into the cold and turning it into a celebration. As temperatures plunge to nearly minus 30 degrees Celsius, Harbin begins constructing a second city beside the frozen Songhua River, one made entirely of ice and snow. This year, the city is preparing for the largest edition yet of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, marking the 27th year of a festival that has become synonymous with winter spectacle. The park spans an area equivalent to 168 football fields, making it the world’s biggest ice-and-snow theme park. Illuminated castles, towers, and slides shimmer in neon hues, while laughter echoes through the icy streets long after sunset. For visitors, it is not just a festival; it is an immersive encounter with winter itself. Built by Cold, Carved by HandsThe Ice-Snow World is as remarkable for how it is made as for how it looks. In less than a month, more than 5,000 workers assemble hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of ice harvested directly from the frozen river. Sculptors, chainsaw operators, designers, and laborers work around the clock to bring the frozen city to life. This year’s standout attraction is a 521-meter-long ice slide, crowned with an ice-carved Great Wall, complete with battlements and beacon towers. With a 21-meter vertical drop, the slide delivers a breathtaking 50-second descent. Across the park, visitors encounter ice replicas of global landmarks, sprawling plazas, and themed zones that grow more elaborate each year. What once relied on axes and kitchen knives has evolved into a world-leading craft, now recognized as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage.From Folk Tradition to Global IconHarbin’s ice culture runs deep, rooted in everyday survival. For centuries, locals cut ice blocks to preserve food and created ice lanterns to safely house candles during frequent power outages. Once dismissed as symbols of hardship, these lanterns later inspired the city’s first ice lantern festival in the 1960s, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors. The event expanded in 1985 with the founding of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival and reached a turning point in 1999 with the debut of the Ice-Snow World. Broadcast during China’s millennium New Year celebrations, Harbin’s frozen city captured global attention. Today, the festival is officially recognized among the world’s four major ice-and-snow celebrations, alongside events in Japan, Canada, and Norway.A Tourism Boom Fueled by IceHarbin’s frozen success has reshaped the city’s economy and identity. During the 2024–2025 winter season, the city recorded over 90 million tourist visits, generating approximately 137 billion yuan in tourism revenue, with international arrivals nearly doubling. The Ice-Snow World alone welcomed around 3.6 million visitors over its 68-day run. After going viral in late 2023 for its responsive tourism management, issuing refunds, extending hours, improving transport, and cracking down on scams. Harbin became especially popular among visitors from China’s snow-scarce south. Heated waiting halls, windproof shelters, cultural performances, and local winter delicacies have further enhanced the experience. For many travelers, Harbin is no longer just cold; it is captivating. In a city where winter builds rather than breaks, ice has become both an art form and an invitation to wonder.
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